Untitled by Troy Jones.
Smoke curled up from the cigarette
in his fingers. It quiet light the only thing illuminating his face. She
watched from across the road. The sign of the petrol station flickering with
age and disrepair. Its walls covered in flaking paint and dirty glass.
His hand slowly reached up pulling
the stick to his lips allowing another intake of the smoke. His chest expanded
as he took it into is lungs and released into a hacking cough. She pushed the
door of the car open. Looking both ways along the deserted road she hurried to
his side.
"Are you okay?"
The old man turned to her. His
weathered hand reaching to grasps hers, “Is that you darlin?"
"Yeah it's me Pa. Are you okay?
You should quite. You know what the doctors said the last time you were
there."
He turned away and back to the door
behind. Pulling out keys from his pocket he locked the gas stations door.
"Doctor's? What do they know?
They don't know my life or me. These things are the only things keeping me
going." It was an old argument one the two had, had many times before,
"Anyway what are you doing here?"
"It's late and there is a storm
on its way. Grandma asked me to pick you up, saves you having to walk in the
rain."
"I would of been fine. A little
water ain't hurt nobody."
"That may be true" Taking
his arm and leading him to her pickup "But neither did a car ride"
"Your Grandmother worries to
much, but in 58 years of marriage I have learnt not to anger the women. Lead on
young one."
She walked him the car and helped
him inside allowing him enough time for a final puff before he stamped the
smoke out. Safely seated inside they pulled out just as the first few drops of
rain started to thump on the car. With a purr of the engine they headed south
down the road.
Silence stretched out in front. Familiar
and comfortable. The thuds on the roof adding a steady beat to the silent hum
of the engine. She griped the leather on the steering wheel. Twin pools of
light showing the framed picture the night allowed to illuminate.
His voice wafted over to her, a
gentle blanket in the cold night "So how are things with you?"
"School is good. We got exams
coming up so I thought I would do a quick visit now before I get locked away
for the next month with study."
"A small break then. That’s
nice. What about this fella I heard about, did he come down with you?"
"Dave? No he and I broke up.
It's just me now."
"From the sounds of things he
was never right for you. Being a lawyer. Scum is what they all are and they
spend much to much time away from home."
A quiet sob entered her voice
"He was a good man. I couldn't fault him for that."
He turned to stare at his
Granddaughter "But there is more to this isn't there? What did he do to
you?"
She laughed at the gruff tone his
voice had taken. She could just imagine the two squaring off in a fight against
each other. "He didn't do anything wrong Pa. It wasn't him"
She felt his eyes leave her as he
turned to stare back out the window. She turned her focus back to the road, the
rain was getting harder now and she needed to really concentrate, but images of
the last few months kept creeping in. Her and Dave hardly seeing each other.
Texts and emails being the only real for of communication. Her friends birthday
party. Having too many beers. Waking up next to a stranger in her bed. The
guilt of her actions. The fear of Dave finding out. Then finding out she was
pregnant.
She had come back to her childhood
home. Were everything had been safe and easy to decide what she wanted to do.
It took her a while to register the
hand on hers. To feel the callouses and strength ebbing through the fingers
gripping hers on the wheel and realise that she was being spoken to. Slowly she
pulled over to the side of the road.
His voice was soft and soothing. One
she had heard a hundred times before when he was trying to clam one of their
animals down. "It’s okay, you'll be okay. It's all fine." The repetition
on the words blended in with the hum and she wiped the unknown tears away from
her eyes. When the engine cut off the thunder of the rain on the roof was the
only sound until she spoke again. While they sat she poured out the entire
story awaiting her grandfathers roar of disapproval. Instead he unbuckled his
belt and reached across to hug her. She buried her face in his shoulder and cried
the tears she had been holding back for weeks now.
Finally when it was all over, the
tears all gone she started the car and carried on. The only words her Pa had
told her is that they would sit together as a family and talk again when they
got home. The road the rest of they way in silence. It was until she pulled
into the driveway did she notice that the rain had stopped and the first star
had decided to peak out from the clouds and shine.
